Goodbyes are never fun.
(Unless you are these two kiddos...then goodbye is just a chance to be a couple of hams)
Some people try to make them easier, sometimes with jokes, teasing and laughter. Sometimes people feel more comfortable if they just don't say anything at all. And sometimes people choose to say things like..."It's not goodbye, it's 'See you later'."
Please...I beg you...never say those words to me.
Never try and tell me that goodbye is not goodbye. Because calling it something other than it is doesn't make it any easier. Especially when the 'later' is nothing less than at least several months away. I am super emotional, and I am always the first to cry. If I even think about the moment I have to say goodbye to friends and family, my lip starts quivering and the tears begin to pool, just waiting to spill over and make me look a fool. So when the time comes and I actually have to say the words and give the hugs, I am already full out blubbering...so much that I can hardly bring myself to look the person in the eye, lest I lose control of the infant-like wails that are usually ready to bust out and make things super uncomfortable for everyone involved.
That kind of emotion cannot be avoided by saying something other than the word goodbye.
Not for me, not for anyone capable of feeling anything.
Goodbye is goodbye, whether it is for a little while or a long while.
And for me, goodbye just stinks.
Today was my day of goodbyes. These certain goodbyes are always the hardest for me. It's the goodbyes to my parents, my siblings and my nieces that get me the most. And since we had Aden, my sadness isn't just for me anymore...it's for him, too. And for them...because that little boy loves his Papa & Mimi and they love him. And this distance and time between them just stinks!! It does!! It's the lamest thing in the entire world!! But it's unavoidable, as much as the goodbyes that come along with it. So as we went along the day, passing the time with few words, we packed our things and we were ready to go.
And we said our goodbyes. I gave my hugs, I cried my tears and somehow I held back the wailing.
I made it, tear-soaked t-shirt and all. And just like that, we were on our way.
I made it, tear-soaked t-shirt and all. And just like that, we were on our way.
And no matter what...let me just say...for as many times as I have had to say goodbye to my family, it never gets easier.
Until next time.
